CHOICES Waiver for Children and Adults with Disabilities
Individuals must meet all eligibility criteria to qualify for South Dakota Medicaid. The Community, Hope, Opportunity, Independence, Careers, Empowerment, Success (CHOICES) Waiver is a program that provides services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Eligibility Requirements
A person must be developmentally disabled.
A person must be appropriate for home and community based placement.
A person's monthly income must be less than 300 percent of the SSI Standard Benefit Amount ($2,982 in 2026). The resource limit is $2,000 for an individual.
In addition to the standard Medicaid covered services, the following services are available through the CHOICES program:
Case Management: Assist individuals to access services and identify natural supports.
Residential: Helps individuals live as independently as possible, supports health & safety needs, and ranges from around-the-clock supervision to daily check-ins.
Supported Employment: Supports to gain employment and earn at least minimum wage.
Day Habilitation: Unpaid activities to support daily living skills for those whom employment is not a goal.
Nursing: Health and preventative education, screenings and assessments, medical care monitoring, and support of the person’s overall health and wellbeing.
Medical Equipment and Drugs: Supports people to perform activities of daily living.
Other Medically Related Services – Speech, Hearing, Language: Direct therapies and services ordered by physicians.
Visit Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental Disabilities for more information.